Spanish language theater companies and in Latino theater festivals in the United States present Spanish, Spanglish, English language plays in major American cities, including New York, Chicago, Tucson, Seattle, Denver.[6]
Assimilation in Latino/Hispanic Theatre
In the early 20th century, adaptation, and assimilation of Latino immigrants to the United States, and the use of their own version of their language in America, began to translate into the written work of Latino theatre. One of the first mainstream plays that was written about the Latino culture and immigration experience in the United States was The Oxcart by René Marqués.[9]The Oxcart dramatizes the conflicts between Puerto Rican belonging and displacement on the mainland.[10] 21st century Puerto Rican and Nuyorican dramatic works address not only American culture but the actual formation of the United States government.[11] Examples are the Broadway musical Hamilton (musical) by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which tells the story of the American revolution in 1776,[12] and the postcolonial experimental United States of Banana[13] by Giannina Braschi who dramatizes the collapse of the American empire on September 11, 2001.[14][15]
The theatre historian Jorge Huerta writes "...you cannot analyze or write about Latina/o theater without also sounding like a sociologist, a political scientist, an ethnographer, etc., because these are all vital discourses in the understanding of our cultures as Latinas and Latinos." He distinguishes the theaters of the three major Latina/o groups–the Chicanas/os, Cuban-Americans and Puerto Ricans–in terms of the history of relations of the three groups with the United States, emphasizing the similarities and differences in their experiences.[16]
Among the Chicano playwrights of note is Luis Alfaro wrote play Oedipus El Rey at The Public Theater reset Oedipus Rex in South Central LA with a Latino Oedipus. Alfaro also adapted Sophocles’ Elektra, which he transformed into Electricidad, a story about a SoCal drug lord. Euripides’ Medea became Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles.[17]Cherríe Moraga writes feminist theater, including Watsonville/Circle in the Dirt (2002) and The Hungry Woman (2001).
Concerns over ethnic stereotyping and racism have recurred, in the misrepresentation of Latino people in works such as West Side Story,[20] which was written by non-Latino artists. There are also controversies about the assignment of Latino theater roles to non-Latino actors.[21]
Latino peoples and cultures have frequently been portrayed on stage as being violent, rivalrous, exotic, and not wanting to adapt.[22][23][24] Many consider the musical West Side Story an example of Puerto Rican stereotypes; much future racist discussion about Puerto Ricans and other Latinos stemmed from this musical.[25][26] The musical was written by non-Latinos: the book was by Arthur Laurents, the music was written by Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics were written by Stephen Sondheim. Many believe that the underlying message is that Latino culture is dangerous and must be policed and controlled.[27][28]
Casting
Latinos have often found it difficult to be cast in roles that have not been specifically written to be played by a Latino. Many casting directors have begun to use the term "color blind" casting; however, this has caused controversy, as if a show is cast improperly with certain races in certain roles, it may be perceived by audiences as well as the theatre community as wrong or racist. Actors seek theater producer's statements that there will be no discrimination in the casting process.[29] Nevertheless, there have been films, TV shows, and plays that have been written for Latino actors, but played by non-Latino actors. An example of this is TheaterWorks' production of The Motherf**ker With the Hat.[30]
↑ Huerta, Jorge A. "From the margins to the mainstream: Latino/a theater in the U.S." Studies in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Literature 32.2 (2008): 463+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Godinez, Henry. "So Many Stories To Tell." American Theatre 20.10 (2003): 48–52. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Graham-Jones, Jean. "Comment: On Attributions, Appropriations, Misinterpretations, And Latin American Theatre Studies." Theatre Journal 56.3 (2004): 347–351. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Horwitz, Siml. "Latino Theatre Artists: Opportunity And Challenge." Back Stage 42.31 (2001): 20. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Horwitz, Simi. "New Perspectives." Back Stage 44.12 (2003): 24. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Huerta, Jorge A. "Latino Theater Alliance/L.A. Encuentro 2013: We've Come A Long Way, Baby!." Gestos: Revista De Teoría Y Práctica Del Teatro Hispánico 28.56 (2013): 169–170. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Nestor, Frank. "Colorblindness And Controversy." Back Stage (19305966) 53.3 (2012): 2–3. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Svich, Caridad. "US Polyglot Latino Theatre And Its Link To The Americas 1." Contemporary Theatre Review 16.2 (2006): 189–197. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Tolkoff, Esther. "Not A Subculture: NYC's Thriving Latino Theatre." Back Stage 41.10 (2000): 5. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Valdez, Luis. "Chapter 77: Notes On Chicano Theater (1972)." Twentieth Century Theatre: A Sourcebook. 315–319. n.p.: Taylor & Francis Ltd / Books, 1995. International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Nuyorican is a portmanteau word blending "New York" and "Puerto Rican", referring to Puerto Ricans located in or around New York City, their culture, or their descendants. This term is sometimes used for Puerto Ricans living in other areas in the Northeastern US Mainland outside New York State as well. The term is also used by Islander Puerto Ricans to differentiate those of Puerto Rican descent from the Puerto Rico–born.
The Nuyorican movement is a cultural and intellectual movement involving poets, writers, musicians and artists who are Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent, who live in or near New York City, and either call themselves or are known as Nuyoricans. It originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s in neighborhoods such as Loisaida, East Harlem, Williamsburg, and the South Bronx as a means to validate Puerto Rican experience in the United States, particularly for poor and working-class people who suffered from marginalization, ostracism, and discrimination.
René Marqués was a Puerto Rican short story writer and playwright.
Dr. Luis Rafael Sánchez, a.k.a. "Wico" Sánchez is a Puerto Rican essayist, novelist, and short-story author who is widely considered one of the island's most outstanding contemporary playwrights. Possibly his best known play is La Pasión según Antígona Pérez, a tragedy based on the life of Olga Viscal Garriga.
Puerto Rican literature is the body of literature produced by writers of Puerto Rican descent. It evolved from the art of oral storytelling. Written works by the indigenous inhabitants of Puerto Rico were originally prohibited and repressed by the Spanish colonial government.
Latin American poetry is the poetry written by Latin American authors. Latin American poetry is often written in Spanish, but is also composed in Portuguese, Mapuche, Nahuatl, Quechua, Mazatec, Zapotec, Ladino, English, and Spanglish. The unification of Indigenous and imperial cultures produced a unique and extraordinary body of literature in this region. Later with the introduction of African slaves to the new world, African traditions greatly influenced Latin American poetry. Many great works of poetry were written in the colonial and pre-colonial time periods, but it was in the 1960s that the world began to notice the poetry of Latin America. Through the modernismo movement, and the international success of Latin American authors, poetry from this region became increasingly influential.
Latino poetry is a branch of American poetry written by poets born or living in the United States who are of Latin American origin or descent and whose roots are tied to the Americas and their languages, cultures, and geography.
Giannina Braschi is a Puerto Rican poet, novelist, dramatist, and scholar. Her notable works include Empire of Dreams (1988), Yo-Yo Boing! (1998) and United States of Banana (2011).
In the Heights is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Dominican American neighborhood of Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, New York City.
Quiara Alegría Hudes is an American playwright, producer, lyricist and essayist. She is best known for writing the book for the musical In the Heights (2007), and screenplay for its film adaptation. Hudes' first play in her Elliot Trilogy, Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue was a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. She received the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Water by the Spoonful, her second play in that trilogy.
American literature in Spanish in the United States dates back as 1610 when the Spanish explorer Gaspar Pérez de Villagrá published his epic poem Historia de Nuevo México. He was an early chronicler of the conquest of the Americas and a forerunner of Spanish-language literature in the United States given his focus on the American landscape and the customs of the people. However, it was not until the late 20th century that Spanish language literature written by Americans was regularly published in the United States.
Water by the Spoonful (2011) is an American play by Quiara Alegría Hudes and the second part of the Elliot Trilogy. This play is set seven years after the first section of the trilogy, Elliot A Soldier's Fugue. Featuring veteran Elliott Ortiz, the play is set in both the virtual and physical worlds of Philadelphia, United States; Japan, and Puerto Rico.
Yo-Yo Boing! (1998) is a postmodern novel in English, Spanish, and Spanglish by Puerto Rican author Giannina Braschi. The cross-genre work is a structural hybrid of poetry, political philosophy, musical, manifesto, treatise, memoir, and drama. The work addresses tensions between Anglo-American and Hispanic-American cultures in the United States.
United States of Banana (2011) is a postmodern allegorical novel by the Puerto Rican author Giannina Braschi. It is a cross-genre work that blends experimental theatre, prose poetry, short story, and political philosophy with a manifesto on democracy and American life in a post-9/11 world. The book dramatizes the global war on terror and narrates the author's displacement after the attacks from her home in the Battery Park neighborhood in New York City. The work addresses Latin American immigration to the United States, Puerto Rico's colonial status, and "power imbalances within the Americas."
Latino literature is literature written by people of Latin American ancestry, often but not always in English, most notably by Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Dominican Americans, many of whom were born in the United States. The origin of the term "Latino literature" dates back to the 1960s, during the Chicano Movement, which was a social and political movement by Mexican Americans seeking equal rights and representation. At the time, the term "Chicano literature" was used to describe the work of Mexican-American writers. As the movement expanded, the term "Latino" came into use to encompass writers of various Latin American backgrounds, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and others.
Luis Salgado is a Puerto Rican performer, director, choreographer, and producer. His career has led him to Broadway, film, television, and stages around the world. He served as associate director and choreographer of Cirque du Soleil's Paramour that opened April 16, 2019 at the Neue Flora theatre in Hamburg, Germany. He has worked with directors, choreographers and performers such as Andy Blankenbuehler, Jerry Mitchell, Sergio Trujillo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, Patrick Dempsey and Diego Luna.
Empire of Dreams is a postmodern poetry epic by Puerto Rican author Giannina Braschi, who is considered "one of the most revolutionary voices in Latin American literature today".
The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater is a theater company based at the 47th Street Theater in New York City. It was founded as El Nuevo Círculo Dramatico by Míriam Colón and Roberto Rodríguez.
Miss You Like Hell is a musical with book and lyrics by Quiara Alegría Hudes, and music and lyrics by Erin McKeown. The show follows a troubled teenage girl who embarks on a cross-country road trip with her estranged mother, who is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
